Slide ruler to adjust length of typewritten line

ABSTRACT

A slide ruler is provided to determine how draft copy should be marked in order that the draft might be recopied with spaces added or taken away as needed in order that each line in the final copy will end at a predetermined point to provide an even right hand border. In the ruler, the slide base carries a first scale with fixed left hand index and the slide carries a second set back scale with a fixed left hand index, and a movable right hand index is provided so that a part of the final copy line can be measured between the fixed indices and the remainder of the final copy line can be measured between the fixed index on the slide and the movable index.

United States Patent Hanft [54] SLIDE RULER TO ADJUST LENGTH OF T YPEWRITTEN LINE [72]. Inventor: Herbert Hanft, 1412 Ivanhoe Street, Alex- I andria, Va. 22304 [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 82,424

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[ 1 June 13, 1972 2,214,091 9/1940 Turquand ..33/l07R 2,585,421 2/1952 Armand ..116/1l9 Primary Examiner-Leonard F onnan Assistant Examiner-Paul G. Foldes Attorney-Robert 1. Lainof [5 7] ABSTRACT A slide ruler is provided to determine how draft copy should be marked in order that the draft might be recopied with spaces added or taken away as needed in order that each line in the final copy will end at a predetermined point to provide an even right hand border. in theruler, the slide base carries a first scale with fixed left'hand index and the slide carries a second set back scale with a fixed left hand index, and a mova ble right hand index is provided so that a part of the final copy line can be measured between the fixed indices and the remainder of the final copy line can be measured between the fixed index on the slide and the movable index.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SLIDE RULER TO ADJUST LENGTH OF TYPEWRITTEN LINE t The present invention relates to a slide device of ruler type which helps one to adjust the length of a line of typewritten material so that, when the line is typed, it will end at a each line to fall where it may. Then the draft must be marked to indicate where each line should end and where spaces must be added between words or removed between words so that each line will end at the desired predetermined point. The present invention is directed to a slide device to facilitate this task.

In accordance with the present invention, a slide device is provided in which a first scale of typewriter spaces is carried by a slide base, this first scale carrying a fixed index point at the left hand end of the scale. A second scale of typewriter spaces is mounted on a slide having a transparent forward portion slidably mounted on top of the base, this second scale being parallel to the first scale and set back therefrom. This secondscale also carries a fixed index at the left hand end of the scale, this index point extending forwardly from the second scale to the forward edge of the slide base. Lastly, movable index means are provided for marking the desired right hand termination point, this movable index means being structured so that it can be fixed with respect to the first scale without interfering with the movement of the slide.

The invention will .be more fully apparent from the accompanying drawings in which: I

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an illustrative slide device in accordance with the invention; i

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing the structure of FIG. 1; and I 7 I FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing an alternative structure.

Referring more particularly to FIGS, 1 and 2, the numeral 10 identifies a slide device in the nature of a composite ruler,

material is typed in draft, permitting the right hand border of I the ruler-comprising a slide base 11, a transparent slide 12 and a movable index 13. The base 11 carries a first scale of typewriter spaces 14, this scale including a fixed left hand index 15 which extends to the forward edge 16 of the device.

The slide 12 is formed with a depending lateral projection 17 which slidingly engages within a lateral groove 18 so that the slide can be moved transversely of the base as desired. The slide 12 carries a second scale 19 of typewriter spaces. The scale 19 parallels the scale 14 and is set back therefrom 'so that the first scale is visible for use when the entire line of final copy can be taken from any given line on the draft. However, this is not always the case and, to accommodate this, the second scale 19 includes a fixed left hand index 20. This index 20 extends forwardly to the forward edge 16.

Lastly, the movable index 13 is constituted by a strip of plastic formed with a loop portion 21 which is frictionally received in lateral groove 22 in the base 11. The index 13 can therefore be moved wherever desired and fixed with respect to the base 11 while the index extends over the slide 12 to place a right hand index 23 adjacent the forward edge 16 of the base 11. It will be observed that slide 12 can be moved without disturbing the movable index 13.

In operation, the rule 10 is positioned beneath a line on the draft with the index 15 aligned with the point on the draft which begins the line of desired final copy. The slide 12 is then moved laterally to place index 20 at the right end of the line on sures the distance B which is the distance along the second line of the draft to the desired end of the line of final copy.

In the FIG. 1 and 2 structure, base 11 is molded of opaque plastic, slide 12 is molded out of transparent plastic and the index 13 can be shaped from a strip of transparent plastic. Polymethyl methacrylate or polystyrene are preferred plastics for this purpose, though others are obviously useful.

It will be understood that the transparent character of the forward position of the second scale can be provided by suitable openings in an opaque scale. 7

It will also be understood that the slide structure of the invention can accommodate proportional sized type print in which different letters have various widths, e.g., a half space for the letter i" and a space and a half for the letter To facilitate this, the second scale is formed to include intermediate graduations representing half spaces.

The invention is subject to considerable structural variations as will be apparent from FIG. 3 where a transparent plastic sleeve 30 has adhesively fixed therein a first scale 31 and the sleeve 30 encloses a transparent slide 32 having a second scale 33 adhesively fixed thereto. The forward edge 34 of the sleeve 30 constitutes the forward edge of the rule. A narrow transparent band 35 encircles the sleeve 30 to provide the movable right hand index and this band 35 can be taped to be fixed in any desired position.

The invention is defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A slide ruler to assist marking a typed, draft to permit retyping in final form with an even right hand border comprising a slide base having a straight forward edge and carrying a first scale of typewriter spaces adjacent said edge, said first scale including a fixed left hand index, a slide having a transsaid first scale mounted on scale without interfering with the lateral sliding movement of said slide.

2. A slide ruler as recited in claim 1 in which said slide and said movable index are each mounted in lateral grooves in said slide base.

tending around said sleeve.

4. A slide ruler as recited in claim 1 in which said first and second scales of typewriter spaces include intermediate graduations defining half spaces. 

1. A slide ruler to assist marking a typed draft to permit retyping in final form with an even right hand border comprising a slide base having a straight forward edge and carrying a first scale of typewriter spaces adjacent said edge, said first scale including a fixed left hand index, a slide having a transparent forward portion overlying said first scale mounted on top of said base for transverse movement with respect thereto, said slide carrying a second scale of typewriter spaces parallel to said first scale and set back with respect thereto so that said transverse movement of said slide will move said second scale along a line parallel with said first scale, said second scale including a fixed left hand index which extenDs forwardly to said edge, and a movable right hand index overlying said slide and extending forwardly to said edge, said movable index being fixable with respect to said first scale without interfering with the lateral sliding movement of said slide.
 2. A slide ruler as recited in claim 1 in which said slide and said movable index are each mounted in lateral grooves in said slide base.
 3. A slide ruler as recited in claim 1 in which said slide base is constituted by a sleeve, said slide extending through said sleeve and said movable index being constituted by a band extending around said sleeve.
 4. A slide ruler as recited in claim 1 in which said first and second scales of typewriter spaces include intermediate graduations defining half spaces. 